Electromagnetic radiating devices, such as microwave tubes, are used in a large variety of communications, RADAR, and surveillance systems. Examples of microwave tubes include linear beam types such as traveling wave tubes (TWT) and cross-field amplifiers (XFA). Other microwave devices include magnetron, klystron and solid state devices. The commonality for these devices is the emission of electromagnetic energy in the microwave, radio frequency (RF) or other band with wavelengths larger than the infrared region of the spectrum.
Typically microwave tubes are robust and very expensive, however since they are used in many critical systems they are routinely replaced prior to their failure to maximize system up-time. Furthermore, since few such systems incorporate built-in diagnostics, high-priced microwave tubes are often inadvertently replaced when in fact another component of the system is at fault. These approaches increase system operating costs as full-life usage of the tubes will often not be realized. Therefore, a need exists for a way to detect electromagnetic radiating tube failure so that useful tubes are not replaced prematurely.
A system incorporating an electromagnetic radiating tube uses a plurality of sensors to assess the status of the system and integrates the data produced by these sensors in a way that enhances the effectiveness of the data versus analyzing the data separately. This method has uses in detecting and predicting failures in electromagnetic radiating devices such as microwave tubes, and may also be used for life-cycle monitoring of such devices.
An object of this invention is to provide a technique for testing an electromagnetic radiating tube.
A further object of this invention is to provide a technique for testing an electromagnetic radiating tube system.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a technique that tests the transmitting tube of a radar system.
Still yet another object of this invention is to provide a technique that tests the transmitting tube of a radar system by using a plurality of sensors.
Still a further object of this invention is to provide a technique that tests the transmitting tube of a radar system by exploiting a plurality of sensors in a way that enhances the effectiveness of the sensor data versus analyzing the sensor data separately.